Conductor-distributing frame



Patented May 28, 1895.

T. SPENCER.

Ill

CONDUCTOR DISTRIBUTING FRAME.

l l l l I (No Model.)

mssmm PATENT Frost,

THEODORE SPENCER, OF CAMBRIDGE, ASSICNOR TO THE AMERICAN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONDUCTOR-DISTRIBUTING FRAME.

SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,117, dated May 28, 1895.

Applicati n fil tlanuary 24,1895. Serial No. 636,083. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THEODORE SPENCER, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Conductor-Distributing Frames, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to the distribution of electric conductors at any place where a plurality of conductors enterand pass or terminate, such as a telephone central office, or exchange.

In all switchboard systems in use, a certain number of substation circuits are allotted to I 5 each section thereof such number being based upon the maximum number of connections, called for by the substations, but owing to the increase of calls in certain sections of the board, it is necessary to provide means for 2o reducing the number of circuits connected to the switchboard conductors are permanently connected. The switchboard conductors ter- 3 5 minate in spring jacks upon the switchboard,

and usually have what is termed an intermediate distribution, or cross connection board interposed between the main distributing frame and the spring jacks. Such a method of distribution, or cross connection has been found to suit the conditions of a multiple switchboard and to be satisfactory in its workings; but it is not applicable to dividedor transfer switchboards, in whicha certain num- 4 5 her of individual circuits terminate upon each operators section where a number of distributing operators connect them to separate answering operators; or where the answering operators are located on one side of a hori- 5o zontal table with the trunk operators on the other side; or where the trunk operators are placed at a separate multiple board. This invention provides the requisite flexibility in the class of switchboards mentioned, and discloses a method whereby the number of substation circuits, assigned to any section of the board, may be quickly added to, or reduced,

or whereby groups of such circuits upon different sections of the board may exchange places.

In carrying out the invention, the substation circuits enter the exchange and termihate at one side of a distribution frame, and are connected by bridle wires to the switchboard terminals uponits opposite side which includes the lightning arresters, as fully shown in the United States Patent N 0. 507,424, granted to William S. Ford and Bertram A. Lenfest. Fromthe said switchboard terminals, the conductors extend preferably in bunched groups, or cables of ten pairs or twenty conductors and are permanently connected to metal terminals fixed in a movable or portable terminal strip of insulating material. The cables are attached to the walls or ceiling of the building,or to any suitable frame and are arranged in sinuous curves in order that there may be slack to utilize in extending the cable in a horizontal direction within specified limits. The metal terminals on each movable terminal strip are designed to make connection with the same number of fixed termiinals located upon a bar of insulating material,

to which the conductors from the switchboard jacks are permanently connected. The said jacks are arranged preferably in rows or groups of ten, and their fixed terminals are also arranged in rows or groups of ten upon the said bar. As in the case of multiple switchboards, a specified number of pairs of conductors are allotted to each switchboard section, all of whichare preferably in multiples of ten and in addition to the spring jacks forming the terminals of each pair of conductors, a specified number of spare or idle jacks and conductors are allotted each section and these occupy the same relative grouped position on each section as do their unoccupied permanent terminals upon the said bar. When it is desired to reduce thenumber of substation lines terminating upon any section of the board, the terminals of the said lines which may be associated with any one of the movable terminal-stripaare disconnected trom the fixed terminals on the bar of the intermediate frame, and the said strip is carried bodily to the part of the same bar or any other similar bar where are located the idle fixed terminals, connected to -the switchesgor -jacks upon the switchboard section .towhich said j substation lines are to be transferred, and are connected to the said idle terminals as will now be fully described-and set --forthin the appended claims.

F g 1 of the raw ng i ad eg em u trative of the invention. Eigs.:2,-3,.-an'd l are enlarged detailed viewsgof {the intermediate transfer-board, Fig. 2 being a front View, Fig. be -ng-a secti n n1 fiche- Regula imes, and Fig--4 a op Mi-e xof -.ith ni va'ble ztenm na w strip; ,andlEig-jfi. is .a ,perspectiv erview of "the: moyablete-rrfiinahs ip- Ar pre ent adis ibu ing amesle cribefi inldet ji imihe pa e ttherinbefe t r erred tQfF Wh Qh refer ncei .madegt whiehtthe eetlcable i wexte dst emains o rc nduc-c tors thereof being-fanned out'to'fixedtermi al ummthebar h the ramehfi fem whi -71 2 t n 001mmec iesWin s,wnrthelish nine arrest ean'd t rmi alsuiz nthe npositfsijd-e o he firam ran itmmthemtheyer extended;in-eablesde .t nrpair mfiswdu tors? to. ndmak connectio wit tone-end; :f=-.-mee1 1 "term nal p mineg ieups J1, taxe i the strip 'D-nf insu at ugs ne e ie eth ep posite end of :i heterminal beie wonnected withtonelend.ofernetallicmerll illl m ofixed i al ng a aoflinsulatingmat riaL/theQP- pesi e en o :-,.t es. '*t rminal .havmse nnected therewiththe;pairs,ofieoirduetorsrepresentedby.;.the,si-ngle,lineshwhieh ter inate in switches or jacks,jhupon the sections 1,22: l he-swi c bo rd G- l'lh aq blesder shewni asarranged. in sinuous; eurves,.. anld, maybe in l op of i anyw to r exide 'fn beinbeins extensible.

@In connection K'With r each ,section of the switchboard :is shown one r group. of ten idle jacks, jiwith. their. conductors h and group H? of fixed terminals'moa and, threagrou-ps of jacks j-conn ected. to, the substations through the. movable terminal stripsDfland; their, conflhemovable .and portable terminals D, are made of short strips of hard rubber 3 and 4, secured to each other by screws 5 5, the piece 3 having ten parallel slots 7, out in its rear side in which are placed the metal terminals p and ralternately; the piece 4 then being -.-secured to :it. Rhea-projecting part 10 of the pieceBzhasstenjholesfi bored therein through which the conductors f extend to be connected ,to the upper ends of the terminals 19 0".

'At each end of the-movable terminal are the counter-sunk holes 8 and 9 in which the outer, end of the bolts u and their nuts rest =when-rthe 'blockissecured-t0 the face of the t-bandqafandawhen it is so, secured the lower -end of terminals m are soldered to the lower end of terminals ,1", and .the terminals 0 r are soldered to i-the terminalstp.

Thefloars 9 maybe. of, any required length,

.endlthe emay e any'num e 'secure to. the

.ijrameti?, .ontelabeve another.

"whenitgis desire'd to remove tenor ,more substation lines from section 1 to :seQti0n2, onto any. othersectiomthe nuts. of the bolts u are remoyedj(.the inner nuts holding the banidm in,.place) and,a;hot iron is placedrupon -the lowerends ,ot the, metal-terminalsto melt the solder, and the movablQpQ i lble terminal :1)- relmovedtrom placeand carried .to the ,unoe upiedts teeplfl end se ur d e e thus effe' it e f -he; transfer Qfa g oup of, bStatiQ condu ctorspthe; slackv inthe convoluted cable d permitting its. eXteDSiQ l- A group. of substation conduetorshaving their jacks upon one fiection of theswitehiboard may be t1ians- "ferr ed toanothersection of the boardanid take the place. of @SQCQHdg-roupalreadY Conn ected there which ,group maybe transferred to the sectionof thefirstgrohp ina manner well understood fromthefpreviousdescription.

.fiavingwnp lf lly.d ib my v ntion, Lcl.aim.+

;1. {.lfhe .combi-nation in .a distributing or cross-connectingapparatus fortelephonecircuits,-,,of, two or, more groups offixed metallic terminals, a, group or series of extensible conductors constituting the t-terminals of main 1ines,,.. an insulatedportable.supporting strip, fivSOlifiS of metallicterminals-arranged along said strip, each terminal projecting there throughat,itsextremitiesgandto one end of which, thecexlensibler conductors are respect iv,ely;cou1nected,,and means. for removahly seouringzthe-portable strip in proximity to the other endsofthejmetallic terminals carriedthereby making contact with-the. fixed metallic terminals, all arranged and com- -bined,:.substantiallyas described.

2. l{he,co mbination in distributing. or gcltqSs-qqntnecting apparatus fortelephone, cireuits plaeed tbetweena. switchboard and the incoming lines, of. two ,ormore ,grou-ps or ..series fr fixed contact pieces mounted in a nonconducting support-.andeach connectedwith andformi'ngthe. terminal of a loop. or branch of; the, several lines extending to theswitchboatdapplianoes of the severallines; andta IIO cross-connecting apparatus for telephone circuits placed between a switchboard and the incoming lines, of a series of fixed contacts arranged in groups along and each projecting at its ends from an insulating fixed support, each contact representing and forming the terminal of a loop or branch of the re spective lines extending to the switch-board appliances, portable insulating strips, metallic contacts arranged in groups along said strips, extensible conductors constituting the terminals of incoming lines, and connected with the metallic contacts and means for removably securing the portable strips in proximity to the fixed support bringing the other or free ends of their respective contacts into electrical connection, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of 5 January, 1895.

THEODORE SPENCER. Witnesses:

F. J. HALLAHAN, A. P. RUTHERFORD. 

